Culinary Union plans 48-hour strike at Virgin Las Vegas resort

Hospitality workers represented by the Culinary Union are set to stage a 48-hour strike at the Virgin Las Vegas property starting Friday morning, marking the first labor action at the resort, which rebranded from Hard Rock Hotel to Virgin Hotels in March 2021.

More than 700 members of the Culinary Union Local 226 will participate in the strike, which is scheduled to commence at 5 am on Friday, May 10, and conclude at 4:59 am on Sunday, May 12. The decision to strike comes amidst ongoing negotiations for a five-year union contract, with workers at the Virgin Las Vegas property currently operating without a contract since its expiration on June 1, 2023.

A spokesperson for Culinary Workers Union Local 226 shared a statement on Wednesday evening, which reads: "The Culinary Union is already urging customers and community allies to not cross the picket line at the Virgin Las Vegas and will be encouraging visitors to cancel their reservation, check out of the property, and choose a union accommodation.

"Last year, members of the Culinary and Bartenders Unions voted to authorize a citywide strike after tens of thousands of hospitality workers packed the Thomas and Mack Center in September 2023 to cast their votes. Contracts for over 50,000 workers have since been settled and workers have won the best contract ever. Contract negotiations for one casino property remain: The Virgin Las Vegas contract which expired June 1, 2023, and the extension was terminated."

Virgin Hotels representatives did not immediately respond to local media requests for comment on the impending strike action. However, Virgin President Cliff Atkinson had earlier expressed confidence in the ongoing negotiations with the Culinary Union, assuring that recent changes to casino operations would not impact hospitality workers and affirming the resort's commitment to bargaining in good faith.

If the strike proceeds as planned, it will affect various facets of operations at the off-Strip resort, impacting guest room attendants, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, laundry, and kitchen workers. Notably, casino workers, including table games dealers, are not part of the union and will not participate in the strike.

Additionally, the strike is expected to disrupt services at unionized restaurants within the property, including Casa Calavera, Funny Library Coffee Shop, Juice Bar, The Bar at Commons Club, The Kitchen at Commons Club, and The Shag Room.

Negotiations between the Culinary Union and Virgin Hotels management are slated to resume at the bargaining table on Tuesday. The Culinary Union, which represents over 50,000 hospitality workers in Las Vegas, last staged a strike in 2002 at the Golden Gate casino in downtown Las Vegas, lasting for 10 days before a new contract agreement was reached.